The Georgia Lottery has provided more than $13 billion toward education programs in Georgia. The  program has enabled more than 1.4 million students to pursue higher education through the Helping Outstanding Pupil’s Educationally (HOPE) Program and provided 1.1 million four-year-olds access to early childhood education through Georgia’s Pre-K Program.  Today, the… [Read more]

Categories: Author, Cedric Johnson, Education, Policy Areas, Reports | Comments (7)

The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: Budget Overview report examines the Governor’s FY 2013 budget  and its impact on the public resources that matter most to Georgians. The policy brief also provides an overview of specific areas of the Governor’s budget including lottery funds, tobacco settlement funds, and the reserve shortfall reserves.
 Download the PDF.… [Read more]

Categories: Alan Essig, Author, Home Tab 2, Reports, State Budget | Comments (12)

 Amidst a tenuous economic recovery, Georgia remains far from its fiscal position prior to the economic downturn. The FY 2013 Budget Analysis: PK-12 Education discusses the governor’s FY 2013 budget recommendations for the Department of Education and Bright from the Start: Department of Early Care and Learning, which administers… [Read more]

Categories: Cedric Johnson, Education, Reports | Comments (13)

The FY 2013 budgets for higher education provide modest spending increases compared to FY 2012. The budgets provide funding for enrollment growth within both the university and technical college systems; however, the University System’s Teaching program and the Technical College System’s Technical Education program experience funding cuts.
The higher education system… [Read more]

Categories: Cedric Johnson, Education, Reports | Comments (9)

By essentially any measure, Georgia is a low-tax, low-regulation, business-friendly state. So, why does Georgia’s business tax climate rank 34th in the nation in the Tax Foundation’s latest report?
The Tax Foundation’s business climate rankings are not a meaningful measure of a state’s overall business friendliness. The rankings do not… [Read more]

Many Georgia policymakers and business leaders contend the state has a shortage of venture capital, a form of business financing that helps fund early stage companies.  To remedy this problem, some Georgia leaders are considering CAPCO legislation, an expensive tax credit program advertised as a jobs and economic development bill.… [Read more]

Categories: Home Tab 3, Library, Policy Areas, Reports, State Taxes, Wesley Tharpe | Comments (4)

By 2020 an estimated 61 percent of all jobs in the state will require a career certificate or college degree; however, only 34 percent of adults in Georgia have an associate degree or higher. This creates a sizable skills gap that must be closed. Postsecondary education is becoming a necessity… [Read more]

Categories: Education, Home Tab 3, Library, Policy Areas, Reports | Comments (1)

State of Working Georgia uses data on wages, jobs, unemployment and poverty to closely examine the effect of the economy on everyday Georgians. The report is produced annually, and is part of the State of Working America project from the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute.
This year’s State of Working Georgia… [Read more]

Categories: Economic Security, Home Tab 3, Library, Policy Areas, Reports | Comments (5)

Medicaid cuts in the House Republican budget, if implemented today, would have a devastating impact on Georgia’s economy. These cuts would put as many as 38,420 jobs and as much as $4.4 billion in state business activity at risk, according to a report released today by the national health care… [Read more]

Georgia is poised to maximize its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment & Training program, which will help more food stamp recipients gain skills to obtain and maintain employment. Download the PDF.